Peter Besler
Peter Besler | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5, 1963 Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Author, investment advisor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Securing public funding for Canadian medical research and biotechnology enterprises |
Peter Besler (born October 5, 1963) is a Canadian author and investment advisor operating out of Toronto, Ontario. Originally from Waterloo, Ontario, Besler is noted for his role in securing public funding to support Canadian enterprises engaged in developing treatments for critical and life-threatening diseases. Since 1986, he has facilitated financial backing for numerous biotechnology and medical research organizations through the stages of pre-clinical development as well as phase I, II, and III clinical trials involving human subjects.
Biography
Initially enrolled as a cooperative education student in chemistry at the University of Waterloo, Besler redirected his career path due to concerns about insufficient funding for scientific research within Canada. In 1983, he served as a co-leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Campus Youth and completed his degree in Economics by 1986. After relocating to Toronto, he underwent investment banking training under the mentorship of Gerszon Taichman. By 1994, Besler collaborated with Cornell University researchers to assist in the establishment of in-vitro fertilization clinics in China. In 2001, he discovered promising multiple sclerosis research led by Dr. Ingrid Katz at the University of Edmonton and was instrumental in arranging financing that enabled Health Canada approval to proceed with phase II clinical trials by 2003. These trials later obtained FDA fast track designation in 2008.
In addition to his professional endeavors, Besler participates in charitable activities supporting a range of Canadian non-profit organizations.
Medical research
Besler’s capital raising initiatives have concentrated on medical fields such as scleroderma, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis. His primary focus lies in aiding researchers who demonstrate encouraging outcomes but lack access to conventional grant funding sources. He highlights that cutting-edge treatment research frequently depends on private investment rather than government grants or charitable donations because of the substantial expenses involved in clinical trial processes.
Investment advice
As an author, Besler has published multiple books on finance and investment strategies, including The PEARL Approach - Protected Effective Asset Risk Limitation investment strategy and Investment Advisor Training Guide. He contributed as a regular columnist to Canadian Money Saver, working alongside Morris I. Bubbis. In 2012, Besler became the most widely read feature columnist for both The Northern Miner and Mining Markets magazine.